The 2014 netrugby season kicks off on 20th May

The sun is out and the last league games have been won and lost which can only mean one thing: the Netrugby season is about to begin! This year, we’re delighted to welcome a new team to the Netrugby league – ‘The Tour’. The final fixtures will soon be posted on our main site – http://www.netrugby.org – but below are the draft fixtures – all games are on Tuesdays on Clapham Common. And an early date for your diary – looks like World Cup will be held on on June 7th – TBC. If you’re interested in playing for an existing team, or entering a new team into the league or World Cup, please email info@netrugby.org.

Here’s to another GREAT season!!

 

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The new Netrugby 2012 season kicks off in May

Oh yes, at last, the best game in the world is back! The new netrugby season is just weeks away, five five teams confirmed to be competing in the league. All games will be played at the normal pitches on Clapham Common and will always be on a Tuesday night, meet 7pm, KO 7:30pm. The full fixture list can be seen below – week 1 begins on Tuesday May 22nd. If you want to get involved, email info@netrugby.org or just turn up on any Tuesday and speak to one of the team captains. More details will be posted over at our main league site at http://www.netrugby.org shortly. Prepare to do battle!

 

Netrugby featured on BBC Sport – if you like what you see get in touch to get involved!

Last summer we had the pleasure of welcoming Mike Bushell from BBC Sport down to Clapham Common to try his hand at netrugby. Turned out he had quite a side step on him, but he still struggled (like everyone else) to get the better of Junior! Many thanks to Mike for running a piece on the BBC that you can watch below. It’s all part of our drive to get more players and teams involved in what is such a superb sport and it had an immediate impact – we saw lots of ex-players get back in touch, as well as a new team that we hope will join us next season. Netrugby has been going for over a century and publicity like this will help attract the next generation of players to make sure it’s still going strong in another hundred years. If you’re interested in playing or entering a team, visit our main website at http://www.netrugby.org.

BBC Sport to screen netrugby footage

We were delighted to welcome Mike Bushell from BBC Sport to Clapham Common recently. Mike enthusiastically jumped into a full on game and did well to avoid Junior’s slam tackles – well alomost. We hope to see the piece go out on BBC Breakfast on Saturday 6th or 13th (betwen 6am-9am) so keep your eyes peeled for that. Hopefully it will inspire a few more people to get back in to the game or try it out for the first time.

Congratulations to the 2011 League and Cup winners

The 2011 season has just drawn to a close and what a brilliant one it has been. A full report will go up on http://www.netrugby.org shortly, but congratulations to the Barbarians who won the league, just pipping Battersea and Taverners who shared second place. I’m sure you’ll agree they thoroughly deserved their first title. And congratulations also to Spartans (pictured above) who won the 2011 world cup competition. Well done all and see you next season.

Guest post from Reg Waite – Old Town rugby netball veteran

Well, this is a first – we have a guest post from one of the many rugby netball veterans out there. Reg Waite got in touch with me via the blog and then came down to watch this year’s World Cup on the common. It was a true honour to have Reg down and he gave a great speech as he presented the trophy to this year’s winning team – Spartans. Reg brought with him some great pictures that are re-produced below, along with a guest post from Reg himself. Enjoy and do get in touch through the comments section if you have stories or pictures to share.

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Article from Reg White – played for Old Town from early 60s through to the 70s

I visited this year’s NetRugby tournament to supply a photograph of the OLD TOWN team of 1966. Goodwin Trophy Winners, Division 1 Champions and Reserve A Division Runners Up. The picture is below and I’ve added the names of those I can remember. Apologies, but with an aging memory I couldn’t get them all, but hopefully others can add more [just enter your comments under ‘leave a reply’ below – ed]. What a great team, which included:

– Micky Steer – Great player, probably the best captain ever and one of the real ‘hard men’ of that era
– Johnny Williams – A man mountain – quality rugby player (I believe either played or trialled for England)
– Johnny Hammond – An incredible goal scorer. Some would argue the best, but I believd Old Town’s Jimmy Couchman was number 1.
– Johnny White – Manager. Great bloke and really tough player from the years before my time.

I lived overlooking Clapham Common and from early teens watched Rugby Netball (as it was known in my day) most nights of the week. Three, four even five matches a night with hundreds of supporters hugging teh touchlines. A group of us youngsters “Can we borrow a ball mister” played on the sidelines and practiced goal shots during the match half time. At about 15 I joined my favourite team Old Town and played for about two years in the reserves, eager to improve and get in the 1st team.

Over many years we were either winners or thereabouts for the various trophies, our greatest match rivals being Alpha. Besides the great bunch of Old Town players, here’s a few names from some of the other Rugby netball teams – Micky Wheller, Bob Hiller, Archie Hendricks, Malcolm Robertson, Micky Deverson, Roger Underwood.

It would be good to hear from any of the old players.
Thanks,
Reg Waite lindaandreg@hotmail.com

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ps – here are some other random pics Reg supplied – let us know if you know the people in them.

Battersea are champions of netrugby!!!

..or at least they were in 1956, as is proven by this photo. It was handed to me by Len Taylor, who was captain of the team and can be seen in the centre holding the ball. Len (a sprightly gentleman, now in his 80s) was kind enough to come down and watch a league game in June and brought around ten of his clan with him. After a feisty game between Barbarians and Battersea (that the babas just nicked 3-2) we headed on for a pint. Over a couple of Youngs, Len recalled some marvellous tales of rugby netball in its heyday, pointing out that back then there would regularly be crowds 3-4 deep behind the ropes to watch. Len was delighted to see the game still being played and reckons that without modern distractions like PlaySatations and 3D home cinema systems we’d have as many people watching today. He then slipped off home to fire up the latest edition of Rugby World Cup 2011 on his xbox 360. Len – pleasure to have you and your family down. Make sure your grandson brings his boots next time!

Here’s 2011 Len (with ball) with the Battersea team in June…

Rugby Netball in the 1930s – pathe clip

At the last Netrugby AGM, this awesome piece of ancient film was brought to my attention. It’s from Pathe and shows rugby netball being played in front of a sizeable crowd in the 1930s. The full clip is owned by Pathe so you have to visit their site here to watch it. Brilliant to see more of our beloved game’s history. The shirts and shorts may have changed but it’s good see that it was as difficult to score then as it is now. And by the way, is it just me or are they the very same nets and posts we still use?!!

Rugby Netball being played in Wimbledon in the 1930s

Alpha rugby netball team c.1939

It’s always great to get copies of pictures of teams that have played netrugby (or rugby netball as it was then) through the years. Thanks to Peter Frith who dug up this picture from 60 years ago of the hugely successful Alpha team. Looking at old press clippings, it’s clear that Alpha dominated the leagues for many years. But what happened to them? Surely there must be some grandsons of these players who fancy re-starting the Alpha team? If so, they should visit our main netrugby website to sign up to play!

The end of another season

Well, the 2009 netrugby season drew to a close last week. And what a great one it was. Seven teams competed in the league, playing each other twice each. It was as competetive as ever, with lots of close-run games, but eventually Taverners took the league title, with Battersea Ironsides getting the runners up spot. The Wold Cup was a huge success, with additional teams – the Welsh Wizards and Warlingham RFC – competing with more experienced teams. A particular highlight was the fine performance from Satyrs in the group stages against Taverners – they nearly did it! But, Taverners ended up being worthy winners of the cup too, beating Concord in the final.

Big thanks to all those players involved in trhe league and cup, especially the refs, captains and committee members that made it all possible. I’m afraid I’m a bit short on photos of the season, so apologies for using a pic of the runners up team (Battersea) as it’s the only one I have. The 2010 season kicks off in May, so do get in touch via the main netrugby website if you want to get involved or enter a team – newcomers always welcome.